Protocol
by astradanvers
Summary: Photographer Alex has slowly been falling in love with the beautiful woman who keeps showing up at her shows.


**This one may have gotten slightly out of hand and also turned into Carter being Kara and Cat's son. Enjoy.**

Alex Danvers is not the biggest name in art, hell more times than not she's overshadowed by her own younger sister, but she is a good artist. Her sister, Kara, is the painter, the one who takes a blank canvas and turns it into something amazing. Alex is the one who can pick up a camera and turn the everyday into the extraordinary simply by changing the perspective when looking at it.

There's a gallery that takes an interest in her work, she'll be forever grateful to Hank Henshaw, owner of DEO Photography for giving her the opportunity to show her work. Tomorrow night is her fourth show, her newest show _Discovering Rome_. She smiles as she hangs the final piece. In the photo her nephew stands looking at the Trevi Fountain, his small hand reaching towards the crystal clear water.

She nods when she feels it's perfect, "You should be home already," a voice says behind her, "big night tomorrow."

Grinning Alex turns around, "Hey, Hank."

The tall man moves forward, his arm curling around her as she sometimes remembers her father's would. "They're amazing, Alex, as they always are." He grins, "Of course Carter does make a priceless subject."

She nods, "He does. Everyone is expecting the normal pictures of well known places, aren't they?"

"Not from you," Hank says, "I don't think they ever could." He pats her shoulder, "Get some sleep, Danvers." He grins, "Your girl is probably gonna be here tomorrow."

Smirking Alex shakes her head, "Not my girl, Hank."

"She only shows up for your show, she's your girl."

"Whatever, Henshaw," she says, "I'm going home."

"Goodnight, Alex."

"Night, Hank."

AA~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~AA

The next night Alex moves easily among the people taken with her photographs, over half the night spent with Carter on her hip. Only after Cat and Kara have collected him, allowing her to press a kiss to the toddler's forehead, does she hope the night will finish quickly.

"Hey, Danvers," Lucy Lane says, appearing at her elbow, "you seen tall, dark and sexy tonight?"

Alex shakes her head, "I have no idea who you mean."

"Well take a look to your left and find out."

Moving without really realizing it Alex makes her way towards the woman approaching her in a sinful red dress, "Hey," Alex says sheepishly.

"Hello, Alexandra," the woman says, she turns to the photograph closest to them, "tell me what young Carter was exploring," she glances back at Alex, "please." And Alex does, giving details on each and every photograph Astra asks about.

AA~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~AA

When everything has been cleaned and put away that night Alex turns to Astra, the other woman always seeming to remain and help her clean. They move towards one another unconsciously until they're standing before Alex's favorite photo, the same one as she'd studied the night before.

"Tell me about this one," Astra says even though Alex knows she's already heard the story.

"How about I tell you something else?" Alex says.

"Tell me something," the other woman says.

Alex steps even closer to her, "I can't take a single photograph without wondering what you would think of it." She reaches out to grasp the hand hanging limp at Astra's side, "I took a picture of a really cool spider yesterday and my first thought was if you were afraid of them." She draws the other woman's hand up, "I took a picture of a blue bird's feather because it was the exact blue of your eyes. I took pictures of roses, dozens of roses, at the zoo because they're your favorite. I took pictures of Carter in the leaves at the park because I remembered fall was your favorite season." Alex tugs lightly at the hand in her own, "I see you in every single photograph I take, Astra, you've become my muse."

When Astra smiles at the other woman's words they're only inches apart, "I find I quite like the idea of that."

"Me too," Alex says before sealing her lips to Astra's in a tender but passionate kiss.

AA~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~AA

Alex likes grocery shopping in the mornings, it's normally quiet, just she and a cashier or two, some behind the scenes staff. She always uses the time to think. This morning there's a lot to think about.

Like warm lips pressed to her own and a firm body leaning into hers. Her hands resting one curvy hips, long fingers buried in her short hair. She shudders at the leftover sensations of the previous night, smiles a little at the thought of the woman she'll be having dinner with in a few hours. She shakes her head, she is so screwed.

When she starts for the checkout, she's third in line and simply rests her arms on the cart before glancing at the magazine rack. What she sees makes her heart stutter in her chest. One the front cover of National City's everyday gossip rag is a picture from the night before of Alex and Astra inside the gallery, kissing. Only someone who truly knows her would realize its her, which means she's shocked she hasn't heard from Kara or Cat yet.

She glances at the title, _Krypton's Queen Caught Kissing Up and Coming Artist_. Alex works her brain for why the country sounds so familiar even as she panics over the fact that she spent half an hour the night before making out with royalty. She tosses the magazine on the belt and pays for her groceries quickly, praying no one will recognize her.

The media storm outside her apartment bodes not hope that they don't know who she is. She doesn't stop, instead heading straight for Cat's office, for the first time very thankful her sister married an up and coming media mogul.

AA~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~AA

When Alex steps onto the private elevator at CatCo she is shocked to see Astra sitting inside of Cat's fish bowl office. She spots several men dressed all in black stationed at different places around the floor, idly wondering where her sister is. Inside the office she pushes the door shut and crosses her arms over her chest.

"Alexandra," Astra starts.

"Before we get too far into this, perhaps we move to the balcony without so many prying eyes?" Astra nods, waves the grey haired man in the corner away when he starts to move forward. Cat moves to the door and Alex hears her tell her assistant to send Kara in with Carter when she arrives.

Outside on the balcony Alex doesn't look at Astra, "Alexandra, please."

"I trusted you," Alex says quietly. "With everything. With the private stories behind every image, with what they meant to me," she turns to look at Astra then, "I trusted you with my heart and it feels an awful lot like its been crushed right now."

Astra hangs her head, "I am sorry, brave one," and Alex glares, what right does this woman have to use that name right now. "When I met you at your first show I had broken away from my protective detail, not a first and never the last, but it was different. I saw your photos in the windows of DEO that night and I had to see the person who'd created such beautiful art." She steps forward but Alex steps back, "And then I met you and you were so much more, you are so much more."

"So you lied to me?"

"I did not mean to lie," Astra says suddenly. "I wanted to tell you, every time I saw you. But you saw me." When she steps forward this time Alex doesn't back away from her, "When I would stand beside you in that gallery and you would tell me about what couldn't be seen in the view of your lens I was only ever Astra."

Alex steps forward then, hand coming up to Astra's face, "You're still Astra," she says quietly. "But you are also a queen," she continues as her hand drops from the other woman's cheek. "Of a country I know nothing about, no less."

"But you do know quite a bit about it," Astra says with a grin. "It is hard to live under the same roof as the Crown Princess and not."

"What?"

"Krypton is an island nation protected by ancient magics, only a few people ever leave. Twelve years ago my sister, her husband, and my thirteen year old niece, the heir I had chosen for Krypton, left the island to explore. They were to be gone for two months but never returned. I looked for them and learned my sister and her husband were killed in a car accident in Midvale, I always believed Kara was killed as well."

"Kara?" Alex questions, "Like my Kara? My sister Kara?" Astra nods and steps aside as Alex moves to the chair closest to them and falls into it, "Kara's stories were real, all of them. She grew up on a magic island. She had family who would have raised her. She was/is a princess." Alex is rapidly talking to herself, ignoring Astra and Cat, who has returned after having disappeared, "I have fallen in love with my Princess foster sister's Queen aunt." The young woman closes her eyes and flops backwards, "The world has a fucked up sense of humor, dude."

She feels someone sit beside her and reaches out, knowing Astra is there, "Are you okay?"

Alex cracks one eye open, takes in the woman beside her and slowly nods, "I am or I will be, I suppose is more appropriate." She meets Astra's eyes, "Please tell me Kara isn't the reason you wanted to get close to me."

"No, she was not. Until this morning I was not even positive she was my Kara."

"What changed?"

Cat chuckles then, "Your sister finding the number for the Kryptonian Embassy and calling to freak out over why her aunt was kissing her foster sister."

Alex chuckles, "Sounds accurate." She leans closer to Astra unconsciously, "You've been to all of my shows, how has Kara never noticed?"

"Alex," Cat says, "your sister and I have a small child, even for you we only show up for an hour or so and then disappear. Missing one person multiple times is not a difficult feat."

"I'm in love with my foster sister's aunt," she mutters again, hoping the other two are distracted enough to not notice.

"Does saying it often enough make you feel better?"

"Yes," Alex snaps at her sister-in-law while sticking her tongue out. She looks over at Astra, "Can I still cook for you tonight? Just you and me?"

Astra smiles, cups Alex's cheek, "I would like that very much."

For a moment Alex covers the hand on her cheek then laces their fingers together, "So would I."

She sees Kara heading towards the balcony with Carter and smiles automatically. The stories of Kara's aunt were always her favorite, the Queen who led her military justly and ruled her people fairly. Astra always intrigued Alex, from the very first story to their very first meeting to the moment they're in right now. And Alex isn't sure of the protocol for dating a Queen, she glances at Astra, but she's really only worried about the protocol for dating Astra.


End file.
